Improvement in coffins



tom A.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrra JOHN G. WILLIAMS, OF NEWTON, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT lN COFFINS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 73,857, dated J auuary 28,1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN G. WILLIAMS, of Newton, in the county of Sussex and State of New Jersey, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Ooflins; and I do hereby declare that. the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in the construction of cofiins, whereby the use of screws and nails is entirely avoided, with the exception of those used to secure the lid on the coffin, and the latter made of a better shape than those now constructed.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings,

' Figure 1 is a plan or top view of my invention;

Fig. 2, a side sectional view of the same, taken in the line ac to, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a transverse section of the same taken in the line y 3 Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

A represents the bottom of a coifiu, which is cut out of a plank or board in proper shape, and rabbeted at each side to form a tongue, at. B B are the sides of the coffin, the inner surfaces of which, near their lower ends, are

grooved, to receive the tongues a of the bot- (See Fig. 3.) The bottom A has rounded sides, and, consequently, the sides B B of the coffin require to be bent or curved, to conform to the curvature of the sides of the bottom. The head and foot pieces 0 D are also grooved, as shown at b, and the ends of the sides B B are rabbeted to form tongues c, to fit into said grooves, the bending or springing of the sides B B admitting of this result,

and forming a dovetail, which causes the head and foot pieces to be held in position, or prevents them being forced out from the sides B, the tongues 0 being fitted in the grooves 12 by shoving the head and foot pieces downward from the tops of the sides, the lower ends of head and foot pieces being rabbeted in order to fit over the ends of the bottom A. (See Fig. 2.)

By this mode of construction nails and screws are dispensed with in putting the bottom and sides of the coffin together. The lid is secured upon it by screws or nails, as usual. Besides this advantage, the curving of the sides B admits of the coffin being made to conform more nearly to the shape of the human body than by the ordinary mode of construction.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- As an improved article of manufacture, a coffin, constructed as described, the bottom A provided with a rabbet, a, fitting into the grooves near the lower ridges of the sides B, the bottom and sides secured together by means of the head and foot boards 0 D, grooved upon their inner sides near their ends I), and fitting over therabbets 0 upon the ends of the sides B, and the lower edges of the said head and foot boards rabbeted to fit over the ends of the bottom A, preventing its longitudinal displacement, as herein shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the above-described invention, I have hereunto signed my name this 19th day of August, 1867.

JOHN G. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

LUDLow MCOARTER, J os. OOUL'I. 

